Iran fires missiles on U.S. facilities in Iraq
TEHRAN (AP)
Iran state TV says Tehran has launched "tens" of surface-to-surface missiles at Iraq's Ain Assad air base housing U.S. troops over America's killing of a top Iranian general.
Iran’s foreign minister is calling a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops a “proportionate measures in self-defense.” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also tweeted early Wednesday that Iran does not seek escalation or war, but will defend itself against any aggression. Zarif's tweet follows Iran's missile attack that was in revenge for the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone strike last week in Baghdad.
The US Department of Defense confirmed the attack. DOD spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil.
US officials are still working on damage assessments of the facilities.
State TV described it early Wednesday as Tehran's revenge operation over the killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani. U.S. forces could not be immediately reached for comment.
Iran State TV said the operation's name was "Marytr Soleimani." It said the Guard's aerospace division, which controls Iran's missile program, launched the attack.
The Federal Aviation Administration is barring U.S. pilots and carriers from flying in areas of Iraqi, Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace. The agency is warning of the “potential for miscalculation or misidentification" for civilian aircraft amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
